Flexible closure



April 28, i931 .1. B. FREYSINGER 1,803,106

FLEXIBLE CLOSURE FledJune 28, 1926` y Lim",

Patented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN B. FBEYSINGER, F NEW BRITAIN, CONNEUI'ICT, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T0 HDOKLESS FASTENER COMPANY, OF MEAIDVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA. A

CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA FLEXIBLE cLosUaE Application led June 28,

or locking members which are adapted to bel successively brought into interlocking relation when a slide is moved longitudinally of the tapes in one direction, and which are moved out of interlocking engagement when the slide is moved in the opposite direction.

rlphe object of the present invention is to provide a closure of this sort having various features of novelty and advantage, and which is particularly characterized by its simplicity in construction, lthe ease and facility with l which it may be opened andclosed, and its iexibility when in closed condition.

A further aim of the invention is to provide an improved flexible closure having locking members arranged in pairs, the locking\members of each pair, when the closure is closed, being securely locked together so that there is no danger of the closure becom.

ing open while, at the same time, the closure may be flexed to a verygconsiderable extent.

5* A further aim of the invention is to providerimproved means for limiting the closing movement of the slide.

Y Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein I have shown the invention byf way of Aillustration:

member of the opposite series;

Figure 1 is an elevational view showing the` 1926. Serial No. 118,905.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the locking member shown in Fig. 4;

' Fig. 7 1s a development of the partially formed blank of the slide;

Figs. 8 and 9, respectively, are perspective viewsof a pair of locking members of another embodiment;

Fig. 10 is a side view showing the locking members of Figs. 8 and 9 interengaged; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of one of thev top stops for limiting the closing movement of the slide.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a and b denote the respective stringers or tapes; c, c, the locking members of the series secured to the beaded ed e of the tape a; and d, d `designate the loc ing members of the series secured to the beaded edge of the Stringer b. e is a slide for engaging and disengaging the locking members. f designatesa bottom stop of any suitable construction for limiting the opening movement of the slide, and g, g are top stops for limiting the closing movement of the slide.

In the present illustrative disclosures of the cinvention,I the locking members are arranged in pairs, the locking members of each pair being adapted to interlock, and the locking members of adjacent pairs resting on one another but not being in interlocked relation. Obviously, however, the invention is not speciiically limited to the particular disclosures here illustrated, except as specifically stated in` the accompanying claims. The locking members of each pair are of different confstruction, but this arrangement is not essential in the broader aspects ofthe invention. Each of the locking members may be formed of metal, but it may be preferable to form these locking Amembers of a readily mouldable material, such as Celluloid or rubber; A locking member made of celluloid, hard rubber or the like may be cheaply manufactured and may be readily applied to the tapes.

Referring particularly to the embodiment shown in Figs. 1f" to 6, inclusive, each of the lockings members c and d comprises a block or body portion having, at its rear or attached end, the usual pierced opening 10 and a slot 11 leading thereinto so that it may be which may be in the form of forwardly and downwardly extending fingers or lugs 12 separated by a grooveor'slot 13. The bottom wall or root of the slot may be curved, as at 14. Rearwardly of the fingers 12, each of the members c has a transverse groove 15 on its Aunder surface. Each of the locking members d has, adjacent its forward end and in its upper surface, a pair of pockets or recesses 17 which are separated by a partition or web 18. The pockets 17 conform in shape to, and are ada ted to receive, the respective projections or ngers 12, and the web, partition or lug 18 is adapted to be received by the recess or V groove 13. The forward end 16 of each memer d is curved in a direction opposite to the fingers 12 and is adapted to fit in the groove 15 of the mated member c. The upper surfaces of the members c and the bottom surfaces of the members d areillustrated as fiat, being devoid of any means for interlocking the same with a locking member of the next adjacent pair.

The locking members c and d are connected tothe respective stringers a and b in the relation shown in Fig. 1. As noted, when the closure is closed, the locking members c ex- Y tend above the upper surfaces of the members d to a distance equal that between adjacent members d so that the lfree ends of the members will rest upon the Vupper surfaces of the members c. The ngers or projections 12 engage in the pockets 17, and the beads or ends 16 engage in the grooves 15 so that the locln'ng members cannot be pulled' apart'in the direction of their lengths. The webs or partitions 18 engage in the grooves or' recesses 13 so that the locking members ofeach pair are `held against lateral displacement relative to one another. The forward ends of the beads 16and the projections 12 are rounded so a s to provide cam surfaces which will permit the locking members to properly ride into and out of locking engagement.

Referring to the embodiment shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 10, each of the locking members c a depending central lug 20 behind which 1s a groove 21. To each side of the lug or projection 20 is a curved surface 22. The opposite locking member d has its forward upper corner curved downwardly and forwardly so as to provide cam surfaces 24 which conform to, and are adapted to engage against, the curved surfaces 22 of the memf bers c. Adjacent the forward end, and in the top surface of the member d', is a pocket 25 which conforms to the shape of,'and is adapted to receive, the projection 20.- The bead 26 at the forward end of thispocket is adaptf ed to engage in-the groove 21 behind the' projection 20. The manner in which the 'locking members shown'in Figs. 8 and 9 interengage is clearly illustrated in Fig. 10.

In accordance with the present invention,

there is provided improved means for limit- .i

a shoulder or shoulders within the slide and adapted to engage the stop or stops when the slide is moved to full closed position. In the present instance, I have shown two topv stops, but, obviously, but one may be used. Each of these stops includes a block having an opening 40 and a slot 41 whereby it may be secured to the beaded edge of the Stringer. Projecting laterally from one side of the stop is a lug 42 which is adapted lto be received by a groove 43 in the slide andengage a shoulder 44 at the bottom of this groove. The slide e is preferably formed of sheet metal by stamping out a blank of the general shape shown in Fig. 7f, then bending the edges of the blank and' forming the grooves 43, and then bending the blank over upon itself to the shape shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Betweeny the sides of the blankmay be inserted the usual V shaped 'member 45. The parts of the slide may be secured together by Va yoke or -aple 46, one arm of the staple being riveted 'to a wall of the slide and the other arm of the staple extending through both walls of the slide and through the member 45. A finger piece or tab 47 may be threaded onto thejstaple. The grooves 43 preferably taper down in width. It will be seen that with this structure, when the slide e is noved to its uppermost position, the projections 42 of the stops ride into the grooves 43 and engage the shoulders 44 at the bottoms of these grooves and thereby limit the closing movement of the slide.

As many changes could be made in the above `construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention. could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.l Y

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims-is intended to cover all of the genericand specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention IWhi'Ch, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween. j

I claim as my invention:

1; A flexible closure of the character described having a pair of -interlocking members, one of said members having a pair of pockets separated by a partition and a bead' at the forward end of said pockets, the other of said members having a pair of projections adapted to straddle said partition and respectively engage in said pockets, said last4 mentioned member having a groove behind said projections adapted to receive said bead.

2. A exible closure of the character described having a pair of locking members, one of said members having, adjacent its forward end, a pair of pockets, a partition therebetween and a bead at the forward end of the pockets, the other member of the pair having a pair of projections adapted to respectively engage in said pockets, a recess between said projections adapted to recelve said partition,

and a groove behind said projections adapted to receive said bead.

3. A flexible closure of the character described, having a pair of iiexible stringers, a series of locking members carried by said stringers, a slide movable along said stringers to eect engagement and disengagement of said locking members and provided with a Y-shaped passage, one branch of which has an internalr shoulder spaced from its upper end, and a top stop secured to one of said stringers and arranged to enter the mouth of said branch and having a projection adapted to engage said shoulder.

4. A flexible closure of the character described, having a pair of iexible stringers, a series of locking members carried by said stringers, a slide movable along said stringers to effect engagement and disengagement of said locking members and having a Y-shaped passage, one branch of which is provided with an internal groove terminating at its bottom in a shoulder, and a topstop secured to one of said strin ers and arranged to enter the mouth of said ranch, said top stop having a projection adapted to ride into said groove and engage said shoulder.

J OHN B. FREYSINGER. 

